ABOUT

WHY THE AFRICAN LEADERSHIP BRIDGE?

Our vision at The African Leadership Bridge is to help prepare the leaders who will create an Africa in which all citizens have an opportunity to realize their potential. At The ALB, we are influencing the development of an open and market-driven society in Africa by educating its future leaders at The University of Texas at Austin and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Bringing these outstanding students here to the United States, not only affords them the opportunity for a great education, but it also exposes them directly to the people and institutions that make up our society.

The African Leadership Bridge was formed in 2007, and is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The seed for the organization was planted in 2006, when one of the founders, Rick Reeder, met a student from Kenya via the Texas-Exes job shadowing program. Rick was impressed with the student's thirst for knowledge and gratitude for the opportunity he had to come to UT Austin, and his obvious intelligence.

The discussion during that first meeting turned to the extremely limited number of quality universities on the African continent, and in turn, the very limited number of students who can receive a quality education near home. Many Africa experts agree, that this generation of matriculating high school students will transform the continent from poverty to prosperity, and they will do so through hard work and education – not handouts. The ALB helps create this opportunity for the best and brightest from Africa.